Honiara : 28 January 2018
Letter to the Editors, Solomon Star and Island Sun newspapers.
QUALIFIED VOLUNTEER DOCTORS FOR THE SOLOMON ISLANDS?
Last week I was contacted by a young Swiss doctor seeking an opportunity to work for a short period as a volunteer in one of Solomon Islands hospitals.
It was the third time that such a request from doctors had reached me via my website – www.solomonisandsinfocus.com and, in addition, I have had requests from qualified persons, one with specialist qualifications in the care of persons’ with disabilities, all wanting to help the local medical services caring for the sick or those with special needs.
In each case I relayed the details of the interested parties to the authorities in the MOHMS and to the representative of the Persons’ with Disabilities Association.
In all cases the approach to me was because of what I had written about the needs of the medical services in the Solomons on the blog pages of my website. It occurs to me, however, that if a need exists in the Solomon Islands for the help of qualified volunteer doctors and specialist medical personnel on an ongoing basis, such as I understand the situation to be at the Helena Goldie Hospital, then perhaps an official notification from the MOHMS advertising short-term vacancies could be posted on my website to attract others. Such a notice could lay out the specific requirements from each applicant.
Any enquiries from interested, qualified medical personnel could then be addressed to the MOHMS directly.
I am willing to help in whatever way I can as I believe my website provides the outside world with an opportunity to read about the Solomon Islands and to see what the country offers, including the possible chance of charitable, voluntary aid in the field of medicine, nursing and specialist care services.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
